Velvetleaf Blueberry
Vaccinium myrtilloides Shrub Zones 2–6 1–4 ft
Shares sandy barrens, rocky ground, the Appalachians, old fields and edges in the wild.
A native we do not grow
Lowbush Blueberry
Vaccinium angustifolium. Shrub, 0.5 to 2 feet, zones 2 to 8; full sun, part shade or shade; dry or average ground.
We do not grow lowbush blueberry, and it is not in our shop. This page gathers what our tools say about it and the natives we grow for the same ground.
At a glance
| Other names | Low sweet blueberry, late lowbush blueberry, late sweet blueberry, common lowbush blueberry |
|---|---|
| Form | Shrub |
| Height, feet | 0.5 to 2 |
| Spread, feet | Up to 2 |
| Zones | 2 to 8 |
| Sun | Full sun, part shade or shade |
| Soil moisture | Dry or average ground |
| Growth | Medium |
| Leaves | Deciduous |
| Traits | Fall color, wildlife value, edible, bears young, winter interest, erosion control |
| Flowers | April to July |
| Fruit | Berries, June to October |
| First crop | About 4 years (first flowers) |
| Pollination | Needs a second, unrelated plant. Lowbush blueberry sets little fruit with its own pollen, so plant two or more seedlings from different parents for a crop. |
| Planting season | Spring |
| Black walnut | Sensitive, on the Morton Arboretum's list as “blueberry” |
| Ground | Sandy barrens, rocky ground, the Appalachians, old fields and edges |
| Native in | 22 states |
Lowbush blueberry is native in 22 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The states are the USDA PLANTS Database's records, with the native range read from Silvics of North America and NatureServe Explorer.
What our tools say
How fast it grows and how big it gets, by site Whether it suits your zone, sun and soil How far from a house, wires and a septic field What grows with it in the wild and in a yard When to plant it where you live When it flowers and fruits, month by month How to sow its seed, with dates for your place How many to plant for a crop of seed Whether one you have can be moved, and what the move takes How old one is, from its height How a big one scores by the champion-tree formula
For the same ground, we grow
These shrubs we grow share the most of lowbush blueberry's natural communities in the wild, by the companion species tool's rules.
Hillside Blueberry
Vaccinium pallidum Shrub Zones 5–9 1–3 ft
Shares sandy barrens, rocky ground, the Appalachians, old fields and edges in the wild.
Limber Honeysuckle
Lonicera dioica Shrub Zones 3–7 3–10 ft
Shares rocky ground, the Appalachians, old fields and edges in the wild.
Roundleaf Serviceberry
Amelanchier sanguinea Shrub Zones 2–8 3–23 ft
Shares sandy barrens, rocky ground and the Appalachians in the wild.
Running Serviceberry
Amelanchier spicata Shrub Zones 4–8 1–6 ft
Shares sandy barrens, rocky ground, old fields and edges in the wild.
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus Shrub Zones 4–8 2–3 ft
Shares sandy barrens, rocky ground, old fields and edges in the wild.
Read from
Its figures come from NC State Extension, the Morton Arboretum, the Wildflower Center, the Forest Service's Fire Effects Information System, the Woody Plant Seed Manual, the University of Connecticut's plant database, UNH Extension, the USDA PLANTS Database, the Native Plant Network and Go Botany.